Anything That Loves

From confessional, personal accounts to erotic flights of fancy to undersea identity politics, this collection of comics invites the reader to step outside of the categories and explore the wild and wonderful uncharted territory between “gay” and “straight”. Winner of the Bisexual Book Award for Bisexual Non-Fiction, and included on the American Library Association’s Over the Rainbow Project book list for 2014!

Also available digitally through…

Product Description

“Why don’t you just come out already?”

“How can you be bi if you’re married?”

“You’ll do it with anything that moves.”

For all their differences, gay and straight people are often united in their problems with bisexuality. People who follow their hearts wherever they lead, regardless of gender, are still usually met with disbelief and suspicion.

From confessional, personal accounts to erotic flights of fancy to undersea identity politics, this collection of comics invites the reader to step outside of the categories and explore the wild and wonderful uncharted territory between “gay” and “straight”.

Royalties from the sale of this book are being donated to Prism Comics, the nonprofit organization that’s been helping LGBT comics, creators, and readers for over ten years!

Check out a discussion panel with the editor and some contributors from Emerald City Comic-Con 2013…

29 reviews for Anything That Loves

(bi)sexualitaet.org – December 11, 2014:

“Die Comics spielen mit den Schattierungen von Liebe, Lust und Identität und sind ein Fest für jeden der sich zwischen Hetero und Homo bewegt in Liebesdingen. (The comics play with the shades of love, desire and identity, and are a feast for all the moves between hetero and homo in matters of love.)” Read the full review on (bi)sexualitaet.org

Peace News – December 4, 2014:

“Featuring a wide-range of topics, authors and styles—standouts for me included Kate Leth’s ‘Some common myths about bisexuality’ (‘Does that mean you’re into threesomes?’), Amy T Falcone’s ‘No Big Deal’ (‘Worrying about your partner’s plumbing isn’t love’), and Bill Roundy on being a ‘gold star gay’ attracted to transmen, battling with the Orientation Police (‘Why are you so obsessed with my boyfriend’s junk?’)—this book will hopefully help all of its readers—gay, straight or otherwise inclined—to ‘look beyond limiting labels and categories… so that everyone can follow their hearts (and libidos!)’.” Read Gabriel Carlyle’s review on Peace News

Bitch Magazine – April 7, 2014:

“Because of its empowering bent, approachable styles, and focus on self-exploration beyond well-known labels, Anything that Loves is a collection that I’d be excited to hand off to a teenager who’s hungry for media that reflects how confusing gender and sexual identity can be.” Read Sarah Mirk’s review on Bitch Media

xoxoamore – March 27, 2014:

“The artwork is varied in style, but it’s all uniformly excellent and usually quite polished. It ranges from Maurice Vellekoop’s clean lines, to Josh Trujillo and Dave Valeza’s pastel-inspired silhouettes, to Leanne Franson’s sketchier style. Standouts include Jason A. Quest’s nuanced and spare panels, and Marinaomi’s woodcut-inspired short story. In reviewing a book on bisexuality, it seems cliche to say ‘There’s something in here for everyone,’ but when it comes to the artwork, it’s true.” Read Kaitlyn’s review on xoxoamore

Comics Grinder – March 3, 2014:

“Sexuality is an essential issue. It’s essential like breathing. And it’s complex. The issue itself is personal, social, and political, often all at once. As this book makes clear, this isn’t about being gay or straight. It’s about being human.” Read Harry Chamberlain’s whole review on Comics Grinder

The Bay Area Reporter – February 6, 2014:

“With an introduction by Carol Queen, Ph.D., Anything That Loves is a good journeyman’s guide to the wide spectrum of sexualities and identities that exist apart from the gay/straight binary divide. Editor Christensen writes, ‘The common thread that united them [the book’s contributors] is not their sexuality, but their humanity. These are people who want love, affection, companionship, security, fun, adventure, solace – all the things that you and I and anyone would want.’” Read Roberto Friedman’s whole review in Out There in the Bay Area Reporter

Women Write About Comics – January 27, 2014:

“Anything that Loves is an anthology that explores the fluidity of sexuality, gender expression, and identity. Finally! Story after story of bi/pan/queer folks illustrating the frustration, pain, isolation, ridicule, joy, pleasure, and liberation associated with coming out as bi or queer in a world of binaries. Editor Charles ‘Zan’ Christensen at NW Press felt compelled to create this anthology through Kickstarter to unite all members of the queer community and to ‘stop thinking of it as a VIP club with a litmus test required for entry.’ This anthology challenges the notion of the gay/straight binary and affirms non-dualistic expressions of sex and love.” Read Ashley Schmuecker’s whole review on Women Write About Comics

The Gay Comics List – January 25, 2014:

“I’ve only commented on about a third of the stories in this anthology, but it should be clear that a few strong points emerge from a lot of the contributions: bisexual people exist, not all of them agree to the labels, things are in fact far more complicated than half a dozen labels can make sense of, and that’s a very good thing. And so is this anthology.” Read François Peneaud’s review on the Gay Comics List

Curve Magazine – January 23, 2014:

“Sexy, provocative and thought-provoking, this beautifully illustrated tome is a must-read for comic loving queers. So packed with unique and affirming tales of sexual identity and expression, you won’t be left wanting for much of anything—except for, perhaps, a second helping.” Read Cygnus Fogle’s review in the Jan/Feb issue of Curve Magazine

L.A. Review of Books – January 11, 2014:

“Most engaging is Bill Roundy’s exploration of his own attraction to transmen in analytic detail, a piece that raises ideas about the intersection of physical sexuality and psychological identification, yet refrains from eroticizing transgenderism. Rather, Roundy’s point is to legitimize sexual and romantic relations with transmen as authentic homosexual experiences. His F-to-M partners are presented in his view as neither incomplete men, nor women in drag, but as persons who exemplify, through both body and mind, his sexual ideal of a masculine person.” Read Greg Baldino’s review on L.A. Review of Books

Lambda Literary – January 5, 2014:

“Kudos for Charles ‘Zan’ Christensen for compiling these comics, and as he describes in his introduction, for bravely confronting his own prejudices to come to some epiphanies about new ways we all can view sexual orientation.” Read Cathy Camper’s review on Lambda Literary

4 out of 5

TheCultDen – December 30, 2013:

“…the overall positive message and the desire to overcome and breakdown stereotypes, from both straight and LGBT+ people, is refreshing and still quite sweet. Those who have ever wanted to know more about LGBT+ issues, or else feel they need a refresher, could certainly have a worse place to start than with this.” Read Reece Morris-Jones’ review on TheCultDen

GeekDad – November 6, 2013:

“In a frank, honest description of the human sexual condition, Anything That Loves educates and reminds us that love, gender, and attraction are fluid things.” Read Rory Stark’s review on GeekDad

“At best Anything That Loves is smart, funny and educational, and both empowering and capable of concealing the political tub it’s thumping beneath a great story. Even in its worst moments, it’s a solid strip whose only crime is not standing out from the pack. Which, for an anthology with so many component parts, is a pretty good result. Recommended, and I look forward to reading more of their stuff.” Read Matt Cresswell’s review

Bitch Magazine – September 30, 2013:

“They talk about personal discovery, discrimination, and just daily life, along a scale of myriad of identities. Bisexual men are well represented, which is something of a rarity. As with all anthologies, some will speak to you more than others—for example, Sam Saturday’s depiction of transwomen did not sit well with me—but certainly there is something for everyone within this book. The art is varied and high quality, and the stories are compelling.” Read Arielle Yarwood’s review for Bitch Magazine.

“I found the book hugely entertaining. I loved the different styles of artwork, the different scenarios presented, the stories and the amazing diversity brought to this anthology by all the different authors. Each voice in the book obviously took to heart the purpose and all those incredible creative voices did the subject proud.” Read Cyn Duby’s review on One Blog Many Voices.

4 out of 5

Sequential Tart – September 16, 2013:

“Anything That Loves is a graphic novel compiling the work of over two-dozen creators, some seasoned and some new to comics, regarding the subject of bisexuality. There’s always at least one thing appealing about each entry, either art or story—and nearly always both.” Read Wolfen Moondaughter’s review on Sequential Tart.

4 out of 5

Sequential Tart – September 9, 2013:

“I’m going to start this review with the key message: read this book! Seriously. I was amazed. I laughed. I empathized. And I finished it with a greater appreciation for what it’s like to be bisexual. ” Read Sheena McNeil’s review on Sequential Tart.

Bisexual Books – September 6, 2013:

“The sheer diversity is staggering. In this collection there are bisexual people of every stripe and type. Most identify as bisexual though some use queer and others prefer no labels. There are trans* bisexuals, bisexual people of color, and even a kinky asexual relationship between these pages. Bisexual men are well represented. Not all the creators are bisexual, but most seem to be. Many of the comics are autobiographical and they range from serious to laugh-out loud funny.” Read the review on Bisexual Books.

5 out of 5

Storytelling in Comics – August 27, 2013:

“There are things to be expected from the beginning. Jason Thompson and Erika Moen both provide beautiful and touching pieces of their work to the collection. Ellen Forney is delightfully funny with her contributions. The thing is, if you are reading this far in the review and were interested in this book before you already know that about them. While I don’t want to undermine these amazingly talented people, however, what really excites me about big anthologies like this is finding names I’ve never seen before that I have to google on the phone while I’m reading and the book did not disappoint there.” Read the review on Storytelling in Comics.

The Onion’s A.V. Club – August 27, 2013:

“There’s a vast array of styles showing the different artistic backgrounds of the creators (Jason Thompson and Powflip’s manga-influenced stories are a highlight), creating a comprehensive exploration of bisexuality through graphic storytelling.” Read Oliver Sava’s review on The A.V. Club.

4 out of 5

Sequential Tart – August 26, 2013:

“I think Christensen did a great job finding a variety of material so that the book wouldn’t feel repetitive or preachy. Overall, I really enjoyed Anything That Loves, and would highly recommend it.” Read Katie Frank’s review on Sequential Tart.

AnneBean.com – August 26, 2013:

“…a damn fascinating examination of bisexuality, queer sexuality, biphobia, and the myriad ways one can be a human with desires. The various comics specifically address discrimination and ick that come from the ‘straight’ world as well as the ‘gay’ (‘lesbian’, ‘queer’, etc) world. Some people will connect with this book, or at least one piece in it, on a personal level. (I just want to high-five Leanne Franson, for example.)” Read Anne Bean’s review on AnneBean.com.

5 out of 5

Nerds in Babeland – August 2, 2013:

“With over 200 pages, this anthology is bound to have a number of comics that appeal to you, and the message in each and every artist’s contribution cannot be denied. It doesn’t matter what label you take, or if you reject labels altogether. No one has the right to deny the expression of your own sexuality. Love who you love, and do not give power to those who seek to tear you down because of it.” Read the review on Nerds in Babeland.

Bleeding Cool – July 29, 2013:

“The voices in Anything That Loves are not only the voices of the creators, but they’re the voices of everyone and anyone who’s felt different or weird and tried hard to argue that weirdness away. Anything That Loves wants you to own and love your weirdness and now I have never felt more comfortable being weird.” Read Louis Falcetti’s review on Bleeding Cool.

“There were some fabulous contributions from a wide variety of creators. Some well known, some not at all. Agnes Czaja’s tale of figuring out her own bi-sexuality, Lena Chandhok’s tale of comics influencing her realization, Erika Moen’s coming to terms with her sexual identity, Leanne Franson’s frustrations of being accepted & Margreet De Heer’s comics about her relationships were among my favorites. There were others which I found awesome too, but don’t take my word for it, pick this up.” Read P.D. Houston’s review on Renderwrx